NFL teams play a game of tag

Happy franchise tag day.Today at 4 p.m. is the deadline for NFL teams to apply the tag, which, if signed, guarantees a player one of the top salaries at his position. (The South Florida Sun Sentinel has an excellent analysis of the financial impact of the designation at each position.)For Browns fans, it's a much more somber occasion.Kicker Phil Dawson played under the franchise tag in 2012 and 2011. NFL rules say if a player is tagged for third consecutive season, he must be paid an average of the top five salaries at the highest-paid position. That position will always be quarterback, and this year, the franchise-tag value for QBs is $14,896,000.Since even a team with almost $50 million in salary cap space won't pay a kicker $14.9 million, Dawson is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent March 12.It might seem silly to give a 38-year-old kicker a significant raise from his $3.81 million salary, but Dawson is coming off the best season of his 14-year career.He was 29-for-31 on field-goal attempts (93.5%) in 2012. Even more impressive: He was perfect on 13 field goals of 40 yards or more and 7-for-7 on attempts of 50 yards and up. He was also 8-for-9 on field goals in games in which the temperature was 40 degrees or less.

Then there is this: Dawson is 84 points shy of Lou Groza's franchise record for points by a kicker — 1,349.Not only is Dawson's expected exit going to occur after his best season, it probably will happen when A) he's on the verge of Browns history, and B) the team has ample room to give him, say, a three-year, $13 million contract. If the latter seems ridiculous, consider that the Raiders signed Sebastian Janikowski to a four-year, $16 million contract — three years ago.Maybe Dawson wants to spend his final few years in the NFL kicking for a contender. (The 49ers would seem to be a fit.)Or maybe Joe Banner and the new regime are much more focused on targeting the likes of the Ravens' Paul Kruger and the Steelers' Mike Wallace in free agency.That's understandable.It would also seem to make a lot of sense to commit a few million of a $123.9 million salary cap to the person who has been the Browns' best player since 1999.Yes, it's sad that player is a kicker.

It would also be sad to see Dawson exit when all it might have taken to sign him to a long-term deal last season was a little bit less than the Browns offered Dmitri Patterson last March.

Wi-Fi at the Q

I updated my blog last Thursday, Feb. 28 to reflect that the Cavs' free Wi-Fi network at Quicken Loans Arena, which is in the testing phase, was already available for every seat in the arena.Cavs spokesman Tad Carper said the team will soon have free Wi-Fi in the concourses and “all non-bowl public space” at The Q. Carper said the seven-figure investment is part of a comprehensive wireless upgrade at the Q, one that includes a new distributed antenna system for “greatly improved cell service that is also in the construction phase and nearing completion.”Carper said numerous vendors are involved in the process. The Cavs, however, won't be following the lead of some NBA teams and partnering with AT&T for their Wi-Fi upgrade.The team has an extensive partnership with Verizon.

In case you missed it

The Indians today made it official that they are partnering with The Collection Auto Group for naming rights of the Premium Club at Progressive Field. Collection Auto Group president Bernie Moreno told Crain's the deal is for three years.

Browns center Alex Mack is one of 22 former or current players who was selected to take part in the second annual NFL Pro Hollywood Boot Camp. The program, which runs from March 11-15, offers seminars on such topics as screen writing, directing, producing and film financing. One of the pros Mack and others will have the opportunity to learn from is the man behind one of the best TV shows in the last 20 years (OK, at least in my mind) — Peter Berg of “Friday Night Lights.”

Cavs point guard Kyrie Irving will return from a knee injury just in time for his bobblehead giveaway against the Knicks.